Tree surgery



June 29,1926. 1,590,923 7 s. L. BARBER TREE UR RY Filed Feb. 23, 1923 Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

STANLEY L. BARBER, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. I

TREE SURGERY.

Application filed February a ventilation or even a forced circulation of a gas within a cavity, but it aims also at an actual strengthening of a limb or part which may have been weakened by decomposition forming a cavity therein.

For the purpose of excluding moisture from the wounds of trees while permitting an access of air thereto, my invention aims to employ means such as a downwardly sloping tube or tubes, extending into a wound that has been cleaned and provided with a plosure. My tubes may not extend through the closure. I

It is a further object of my invention, to provide wound-closing means comprising a reinforcing element or elements secured to the sound wood by which a cleaned cavity I is bounded, and extending across such cavity without filling the same; and my preferred construction involves the use of an underlying web of wire, or the equivalent, preferably covered with tarry or other yielding material adapted to exclude moisture, outside of which I may optionally apply an additional coating, preferably also reinforced, and optionally comprising hydraulic cement, which may be colored or formed in imitation of bark. I

Other objects. of my invention will appear from the following description and the claims appended thereto.

It is believed that the general character of my invention will be readily understood from a detailed description of a preferred embodiment and alternative embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accom panying drawings, in which-. 1

Fig. 1 may be regarded as a cross section of a trunk or limb of a tree having a cavity therein. 1 v Fig. 2 may be regarded as an elevation or front View of the same cavity after the same has been cleaned and provided with a-reticulated or foraminous material extending across the opening from said cavity, and

23, 1923. Serial No. 620,788.

is a section onthe line 33 of showing two alternative methods by which ventilating or drainage in place. i

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, showing the appearance ofa treated wound orcavity after tarry or other Water-excluding material has been applied to the reticulated element shown in Fig.-2. 6 is a. sectional *view showing the relationship of parts after all portions of my process, in one of its embodiments, have been completed. l s

Fig. 7 is an elevation also showing the product obtained by the process referred to, the counterfitting of bark, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, being optional. I v l Referring indetail to the form of my invention' shown in the; accompanying drawings, 1 may be regarded asthe trunk or limb of a tree covered with a natural bark 2, and within which decay hasresulted in theformation of a cavity. As a result of the removal of decomposed matter this cavity may have the form indicated at 3. In order to check decomposition within this cavity, I find it important to exclude moisture there f'rom, and for this purpose I prefer to shape the lower portion of the cavity, as indicated in Fig. 4, in such manner as to permit a drainage therefrom; and I find it advantageous notmto attempt to entirely fill the cavity, preferring rather to. provide a. suit able closure or partition across the opening thereof, and suitable means of ventilation.

To exclude atmospheric moisture from a cavity that has been suitably cleaned, and also to strengthen the limb or trunk which may havebeen weakened by the. formation of a. cavity therein, I find it advantageous to secure at the mouth of the cavity a reticulated or foraminous material, preferably metallic, and I may employ for. this purpose a wire screen 4 secured by means such as the staples or tacks 5, this screen being adapted to retain in position the tubes 6, and to be otherwise .entirely covered by a layer of water excluding material 7, which ispreferabl y a plastic con'ibinatiom such as. a tarry product, preferably containing fibrous tubes may be held material. For this purpose I may use an asphaltic or tarry composition such as is now readily obtainable for the repair of roofs, this material having a comparatively permanent plasticity, such as adapts it to the use indicated. it will be understood, in this connection, that the composition referred to must be capable of forming a tight joint at the edge of the cavity to which it is applied, and that this joint must not be readily broken when the limb or trunk of the tree is bent during a storm. 1

Although the tubes 6 may be secured in any suitable manner, as by contact with the mesh 4 and the tarry coating 7, I may optionally secure them by either of the methods indicated in Fig. 4C. In order that the cavity 3 may remain substantially dry, I prefer to insert one of the tubes '6 at such a point as to effect a complete drainage there of. In 4, I have indicated that this drainage tube 6 may be secured by a staple, and I have also suggested at 6 the possibility of providing a ventilating tube with a lateralaperture A, in order that the tube may be driven into the sound wood of a trunk or limb, and yet function properly in the ventilation of the cavity 3.

A. cavity which has been suitably cleaned and provided with a water-tight closure and drainage or ventilating tubes of the char acter described may be regarded as fully protected against further deterioration; but 'I prefer to so arrange the drainage or ven- 'tilating tubes referred to that I may apply over the water excluding material 7 an ad ditional protective coating. For this purpose I may secure, by means such as the tacks 8, an additional layer of wire screen or other reinforcing material 9, and whether or not I employ thisrei-nforcing element, I may apply a layer of hydraulic cement, or the like, 10, this being preferably keyed in place by dovetailing extensions 11, and 0ptionally colored or shaped in imitation of bark, as suggested at 12. It will be understood that even when I employ this outer layer of concrete, I prefer to let the outer ends of the tubes 6 extend therethrough; and I may mention that these tubes may be. employed not only to facilitate a natural ven tilation of the cavity 3, but also and optionally to permit the forcing of dry air or even of a disinfecting or sterilizing agent, preferably a gas, 'therethrough. I have not found the employment of such a sterilizing agent to be necessary, the natural circulation of air 'bemg ordinarily sufficient to prevent the formation of a mildew or other organic growth within the cavity 8. It will be obviousthat theinclinatio-n of the pipe or-tube 6 is intended to prevent the entrance of'rain water therethrough, and that-the inclination of the lower pipe serves also to facilitate drainage from the cavity 3.

While I prefer to introduce my ventilating or drainage tubes in the manner above described, the cavities in trees are sometimes of very irregular configuration, and, for this reason, I may in some cases insert tubes, in the manner suggested at 6 and 6 in Fig. '5, directly through the sound wood of a tree, and even at a considerable distance from any cavity.

It will be understood that various features of my invention might be indepenct ently employed, and that various modifi cations might be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as the same is indicated above and in the following claims: 7

What I claim is:

1. The method of caring for trees in tree surgery which consists of removing the decayed par-tin a tree, placing acovering over the opening or entrance to the :hollow cavity so formed, and providing ventilating means through the covering adjacent the top and bottom thereof.

2. The method of caring for trees in tree cayed part of a tree to form a hollow cavity,

securing a reticulated material over the 'en trance to the hollowcavity, applying a water-proofing plastic material to the reticulated material, securing a second section of reticulated material over the entrance in spaced relation to the first, and applying a cementitious material thereto.

5. The method of caring for trees in tree surgery which consists of removing the decayed part o-fa tree to form ahollow cavity, securing a reticulated material over the entrance to the hollow cavity, applying awater-proofing plastic material to the reticulated material, securing a second section of reticulated "material over the entrance in spaced relation to the first, applying-a cementitious material thereto,and inserting a plurality of ventilating through the covering so formed.

In testimony whereof name to this specification.

STANLEY L. BARBER.

I have signed any 

